4 FanDuel Premier League Studs to Target for Matchweek 9

As is the case when playing any sport on FanDuel, it’s imperative to hit on high-priced studs, the players in which you’ve made the biggest investment. This is especially true with strikers in soccer as goals are often the difference between winning and losing in DFS.

Let’s take a look at some high-priced players -- all across the pitch -- who, despite costing a good chunk of change, are worth the investment.

This article is geared toward FanDuel's main slate, which begins at 10 a.m. EST Saturday and features six matches.

Let's get to it.

Forward

Romelu Lukaku, Manchester United

FanDuel Price: $11,000

Manchester City are going to hog ownership on this slate, and rightfully so. The Citizens are 2.5-goal favorites for their home matchup with Burnley, and they've netted a whopping 29 goals in eight matches. You're going to want a piece of City this weekend, but their astounding 3.25-goal implied total might allow you to get Lukaku at less ownership than normal, and United are in a pretty good spot, too.

The Red Devils are 1.5-goal favorites for their road clash at Huddersfield, and the over/under is 2.5 goals, meaning United have a 2.0-goal implied total.

Lukaku has hit the ground running in his first season in Manchester, leading the league with seven goals through eight fixtures. Admittedly, Lukaku is something of an all-or-nothing option because of his lack of contributions elsewhere, but he's in a great spot to score this week.

No one will blame you if you want to roster Gabriel Jesus ($12,000), but City provide so many quality options in midfield that we can get plenty of exposure to them there.

Editor's note: Since publication, Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been declared fit to play. Priced at $11,000, Aguero is a superb option if he finds himself in the starting XI.

Midfielder

David Silva, Manchester City

FanDuel Price: $11,000

Silva is a superb cash-game play. He's scored at least 31 FanDuel points in three of his last four matches, and he's done it while scoring just one goal in that span. Silva makes his hay with assists and passing volume. He's been credited with at least five chances created in two of his past four outings, and he's leading City in passes per game (79.9).

He can put the ball in the back of the net, too, though.

David Silva knowing the pass to Sterling would force the marker across giving Sterling the easy pass/ himself the easy goal >> pic.twitter.com/txkJ3oiM5j
— Shaun (@TheBlandShaun) July 18, 2017

As we have already mentioned, City are commanding favorites at home against a Burnley side that's giving up a league-worst 19.4 shots per match. City will see plenty of the ball in this one, giving Silva a nearly unrivaled floor.

This being City, Silva is just one of a few appealing options. Kevin De Bruyne ($12,000) is another safe player who isn't goal-reliant, while Raheem Sterling ($10,000) and Leroy Sane ($9,500) are high-upside options who should see less ownership than Silva and KDB.

Coming off the recent international break and a midweek Champions League clash with Napoli, City may opt to rotate the squad a bit, so it's imperative to check out the latest team news on Saturday morning.

Defender

Ben Mee, Burnley

FanDuel Price: $7,000

Mee is usually one of the safer options at defender, and that's particularly true this weekend. Playing at City, Burnley should spend most of the match pinned deep in their own half, which means Mee will likely be a busy, busy dude.

A brutal early-season schedule has forced the Clarets to play at Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool already this season, and Mee has displayed a dope floor against top-tier sides. In those three fixtures, Mee has averaged 28.75 FanDuel points per match, totaling at least 23 points in each one.

If you're pinching pennies, fellow Burnley defender Stephen Ward ($6,500) has averaged 19.6 FanDuel points per match this year and is also in a pristine spot.

Goalie

David de Gea, Manchester United

FanDuel Price: $5,500

De Gea is in sparkling form, posting a clean sheet in his last five matches across all competitions. He's kept the ball out of the next in each of his last four Premier League contests, making 12 saves in that span -- including this dandy with his left foot last weekend at Liverpool.

De Gea may not be very busy at Huddersfield in a match United are expected to control, but with the Terriers owning a 0.75-goal implied total, he offers pretty good clean-sheet odds.

Austan Kas is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Austan Kas also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username akas247. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.